North America

You are here

North America

North America is a dynamic migration region, with the United States home to more immigrants than any other country in the world, the Mexico-U.S. corridor the globe's top migration corridor, and Canada a leading destination for migrants. Research collected here focuses on everything from visa policy and border management to immigrant integration, national identity, the demographics of immigrants in the region and their educational and workforce outcomes, and ways to more effectively use migration policy as a lever for national and regional competitiveness.

Nearly 2 million of the 4 million-strong Vietnamese diaspora live in the United States, with many having come in the immediate aftermath of the Vietnam War and during the long-running Indochinese refugee crisis. With April 30 marking the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, learn more about the Vietnamese diaspora in the United States and Vietnam's contemporary and historical migration experience.

An estimated 41.3 million immigrants lived in the United States in 2013, about 13 percent of the total U.S. population, constituting the world's largest foreign-born population. This Spotlight from MPI's Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova offers the most current and sought-after data on immigrants in the United States—including origin, educational attainment, the unauthorized, deportations, and more—in one easy-to-use resource.

MPI has compiled in one easy-to-access location its key research and data resources on issues, policies, enforcement programs, and more that relate to the immigration reform debate underway in Washington.

Pages

In 2006, 1.1 million Vietnamese immigrants resided in the United States, accounting for 3.0 percent of all U.S. immigrants. MPI's Aaron Terrazas examines their socioeconomic characteristics, where they live, and the size of the Vietnamese-born unauthorized population.

The 1.5 million Indian immigrants residing in the United States accounted for 4.0 percent of all U.S. immigrants in 2006. MPI's Aaron Terrazas examines their socioeconomic characteristics, where they live, and the size of the Indian-born unauthorized population.

In 2006, about 1.6 million Chinese immigrants resided in the United States. MPI's Aaron Matteo Terrazas and Bhavna Devani examine their socioeconomic characteristics, where they live, and the size of the legal and unauthorized population from China.

This report evaluates the United States Visitor and immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program within the broader contexts of national and homeland security as well as immigration law enforcement and policymaking. In doing so, the author provides constructive criticism along with a framework for rethinking US-VISIT’s goal priorities, investment needs, and deadline expectations.

This brief outlines the framework for MPI’s Independent Task Force on Immigration and America’s Future and highlights key issues in U.S. immigration policy it seeks to inform: upholding rule of law; developing policies that meet immigration/national security needs; managing immigration to increase economic competitiveness; and promoting economic and social integration.

This policy brief examines the “twilight status” or the de facto partial recognition of two particular categories of immigrants within the United States’ broader undocumented population: those with legally recognized claims to eventual lawful permanent resident status; and those with legally recognized temporary statuses.

This report provides the first analysis of the Department of Homeland Security’s “One Face at the Border” initiative designed to integrate the immigration, customs, and agriculture functions of United States border management under the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.

This report examines the scope and extent of the United States immigration system’s chronic backlog problem by offering insight into factors that contribute to protracted processing delays for naturalization and permanent residency applications before highlighting the steps the government has taken to address the issue.

Over the past four years, the United States has resettled far fewer refugees than it did in the 1990s. The decline has stemmed partly from post-9/11 security measures. But this book explains other, deeper reasons, deriving from changes in how and why refugees move, how asylum states receive them, and the world community's response. It also suggests steps to restore the program and better address real refugee needs.

In the Spotlight

State Immigration Data Profiles

Want the latest facts and data on immigrants in the United States? Search U.S. Census data on U.S. immigrants and the native born nationally and by state based on demographic, language and education, workforce, and income indicators.

Want the latest estimates and characteristics of unauthorized immigrants in the United States, including those potentially eligible for relief from deportation? Use this innovative data tool to get population estimates and much more—including countries of origin, recency of arrival, educational enrollment and attainment, industries of employment, incomes, English proficiency, and health care coverage—at the national level, by state, and for top counties.